Doctors from across the state turned out in record numbers for White Coat Wednesday to speak to legislators about how to improve Medicaid. The Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Aldona Wos, MD, spoke to the group at the NCMS Center for Leadership in Medicine before the doctors headed over to the Legislative Building. At noon, many of them met with Governor Pat McCrory at the Executive Mansion and participated in a press conference on the steps of the residence. White Coat Wednesday is the North Carolina Medical Society’s (NCMS) grassroots lobbying initiative that occurs every Wednesday when the legislature in is session.

“The health care community, together with the McCrory administration and legislators, had reached a consensus on a new financially predictable and sustainable Medicaid system that encourages the best quality care in the most cost-effective manner for our patients,” NCMS President Dev Sangvai, MD, told the media. “Over the last several months, we had reason to hope that this accountable care model would bring true, lasting improvements to Medicaid.”

The recently adopted Senate budget proposal, however, halts that forward momentum on reform. The doctors came to Raleigh in force to voice their support for the McCrory administration’s plan and to strenously oppose any backward steps to turn the Medicaid program over to an outside managed care company.

For more images from today’s events, visit our Facebook page.